1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical devices. More specifically, the invention is an orthopedic device for stabilizing articulations of body portions in humans or animals, and particularly to a method and device for correcting instability of a hinge joint in a minimum of time.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous devices have been made for improving the stability of injured parts of the body. Some of the most significant advances in the art have concerned the development of improved apparatus for protecting and supporting injured joints. However, none of the references herein described presents a method and device for correcting instability of articulations, wherein an extracapsular technique is used with fixation through the center of rotation, and wherein no implant is left in place once healing has been completed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,660, issued on Jan. 27, 1981, to Henk W. Wevers, describes a prosthetic ligament device including an elastic element securable to the underlying bone structure by means of a quick release bayonet-type fitting which permits rotational movement during engagement at one end and a length adjusting means at the other end thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,601, issued on Oct. 17, 1995, to Franklin A. Young, Jr. et al., describes an adjustable ligament anchor for attaching a ligament to a bone. The ligament anchor includes a housing having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an intra-articular end, and an opposite extra-articular end. The interior surface defines a bore that extends longitudinally through the housing, joining the ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,442, issued on Feb. 20, 1996, to Jeffrey I. Lasner, describes a bone screw having a helical thread with a constant outside diameter curling around a tapered core. The fine screw tip and thread at the tip of the screw can be inserted into a bone with minimal tearing or cracking of the bone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,689, issued on May 28, 1996, to Johannes F. Schlapfer et al., describes an osteosynthetic fastening device, preferably in the form of a pedicle screw or a spinal column hook, having a channel in its upper section for receiving a support rod, and a retaining element which clamps the rod in the socket through a spherical contact element.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,315, issued on Jun. 18, 1996, to Jean-Francis Jeanson et al., describes a device for spinal osteosynthesis, which includes an elongated bar having two parallel, spaced longitudinal slots extending parallel to the bar length. The slots define a central bar branch and two side bar branches flanking the central branch. A plurality of fasteners extend from the bar. Each fastener has a shank to be implanted. A head is provided at an end of the shank. A groove is provided in the fastener head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,688, issued on Jul. 30, 1996, to Fernand Navas, describes an intervertebral stabilization device made in the form of a damper adapted to resist elastically. On the one hand, there is an elongation and, on the other hand, an axial compression without buckling, as well as of at least two implants anchored on two adjacent vertebrae.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,660, issued on Oct. 8, 1996, to Dieter Grob, describes an apparatus for stiffening and/or correcting part of the vertebral column including at least two screw-shaped retaining devices, each of which is fixed to one of the vertebrae in the affected part of the vertebral column.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,819, issued on Nov. 19, 1996, to Andrew Amis, describes an artificial ligament for connecting across a skeletal joint, including a bundle of fibers, each bundle being made up of a plurality of filaments of polyethylene terephthalate. Also disclosed is a ligament fixation device in the form of a cylindrical grommet, and a tensioning instrument for use in implanting an artificial ligament.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,165, issued on Jan. 7, 1997, to Roger P. Jackson, describes a device having a connection element between a rod, or other longitudinal implant, and a bone anchorage screw in the degenerative vertebra. This connection element includes a ring so dimensioned that the rod is capable of extending therethrough. The ring is provided with screws for clamping to the rod and is radially extended by a cylindrical arm adapted to be secured to the bone anchorage screw and to be clamped on the screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,166 issued on Jan. 7, 1997, to Andrew Bernhardt shows an orthopedic bone bolt and bone plate construct including a bone plate member with open portions and a series of multi-angle fasteners attachable to the bone plate member at the open portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,554, issued on Feb. 11, 1997, to Robert S. Howland et al., describes a branch connection for spinal fixation systems. The connector comprises a cross brace, upper saddles and connectors for connecting the upper saddles and cross brace to the first and second spine rods to thereby cross brace the first and second spine rods. Lower saddles are integrally formed at opposite ends of the cross brace to mate with the upper saddles in gripping the spine rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,443, issued on Apr. 15, 1997, to Stanley Gertzbein et al., describes an anterior screw-rod connector device comprising a transverse fixator assembly for spanning between a number of longitudinal members situated adjacent a patient""s vertebrae, and methods for fixation of the spine which allow for variation of the distance between two or more vertebrae.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,527, issued on Mar. 10, 1998, to Lutz Biedermann et al., describes an anchoring member comprising a shaft to be fastened to a bone and a head for connection with a rod. The head has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and is connected with the shaft at the base thereof. The head further includes two free legs defining a channel for receiving the rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,127, issued on Mar. 17, 1998, to Marc A. Asher et al., describes an apparatus for maintaining vertebrae of a spinal column in a desired spatial relationship comprising a longitudinal member extendable along the spinal column. A fastener and a staple connects the longitudinal member to a vertebra.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,850, issued on Apr. 7, 1998, to Walter Baumgartner et al., describes a fastening system for pedicel screws anchorable in different vertebra. The spherical screw heads lie in spherical shells of apertured counterbodies. The counter-bodies have planar support surfaces which lie on a supporting link in the region of elongate holes.
International Patent Application No. WO 83/00010, published on Jan. 6, 1983, for Jules S. Shapiro, describes a method of fixation of two bone portions, including the steps of holding the bones together, placing a powder fastening device over the bone portions, and activating the fastening device to drive a fastener into the bone portions.
International Patent Application No. WO 89/05614, published on Jun. 29, 1989, for Jean Collomb, describes a synthetic ligament for knees made of a biocompatible material, including an active ligamentary part arranged between the femoral and tibial regions of intra-articular penetration.
French Patent Publication No. 2,679,439, published on Jan. 29, 1993, for Philippe Lepinay describes a quadrilaterally-shaped device for the consolidation and replacement of a ligament.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention is directed to an orthopedic device for stabilization of damaged hinge joints, and includes fixed and rotating rigid members connected by a pair of elongated, generally cylindrical shafts. The shafts allow the device to be adjustable to some extent with respect to the joint over which they expand and, once positioned, are fixed in place by set screws. A single end-threaded and center-of-rotation fixation pin is nested in an aperture disposed through the fixed rigid member, while the rotating rigid member has a pair of apertures, each dimensioned for receiving an end-threaded complementary rotating member or bone fixation pin. When the device is mounted in place, the single end-threaded center-of-rotation fixation pin provides an axis of rotation coincident with its longitudinal axis, so that the rotating rigid body is thereby able to go through a range of motion such that the joint is not restricted. This arcuate motion is made possible because the single end-threaded pin is not anchored in place by any structure other than the bone which has a center of rotation defined and the fixed rigid member in which it movably nests. In contrast, the rotating member includes a pair of set screws, insertably received by apertures disposed through its body to hold it securely in place.
The invention can include an operational method for correcting instability in hinge joints using an orthopedic device for stabilizing hinge joints including the steps of:
(a) placing a single end-threaded pin from medial to lateral or vice versa through the center of rotation; and
(b) using the device to guide placement of other fixation pins in the complementary rotating bone or rotating member.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an orthopedic method and device for correcting instability of various articulations of the body.
It is another object decks line of the invention to provide a joint stabilizing device which leaves no implant in place after healing.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a joint stabilizing device which uses fixation through the center of rotation.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.